Grief and Loss Counseling in Irondale, GA.

Our approach to helping people who are dealing with grief and loss is to educate them about the process of attaining true healing. The process is tailor-made to address the specific needs of each individual experiencing grief and loss. Scripture, prayer and proven evidence-based therapy techniques (and medication, if needed) are central to our approach at The Fort Christian Psychiatric Center.

Walking through grief recovery can be a life long journey, we focus on the healing and positive memories to help bring peace. Grief can come from losing someone suddenly, long term illness, suicide loss, pregnancy loss and others. Whatever the loss, you are not alone. This is a safe space to help you heal. Take your time, be patient with yourself and understand that you are not alone. Reach out for support duering you processing and healing journey.

Losing someone you love and care about is the most difficult thing. Properly grieving their loss will help you move forward. With my support, I can help you understand the rollercoaster of emotions you may be going through and reassure you that they are normal, but different for everyone. In the safe and compassionate space we will be in, you can work through your grief, anxiety, and loss in a healthy way.

Grief and loss comes in many different shapes and sizes, but the common denominator is that the heart is badly broken. In grief counseling, I help clients explore their broken heart and assist them to learn "to dance with the limp" (Ann Lamott). If you feel like you've experienced a loss of someone or something that was so meaningful to you, you probably feel like a piece of you has been taken away. I will assist you to reconnect with those parts of you that are missing and to learn how to find joy and meaning in your life.

I have advanced training and experience in helping people deal with traumatic loss and grief including loss through suicide, accident or needing to put a pet to sleep. My approach helps you reduce disturbing images and bad dreams related to the loss, reduce feelings of guilt, reduce a sense of hopelessness about your future, and reconnect to happy images and memories of the person or pet you lost. I have also helped people with job loss and relationship endings. I also incorporate a six step model for accommodating loss and EMDR Therapy to help reduce the pain of the grief process.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one can be one of the hardest things to overcome. Allowing yourself to feel the grief is the best thing you can do. Bridgette strives to provide her clients a compassionate ear and safe place to heal from their loss, help understand the different stages of grief they are experiencing and start seeing hope in each day.

No two individuals process grief and loss the same. Each individual client is met with a client centered approach to managing symptoms as a result of grief and loss. Clients are provided education on grief and how to manage symptoms. Clients are encouraged to shift their relationship to grief in order to better understand themselves and embrace the process of healing.

Grief is the body and spirit's response to significant loss. Grief is involuntary and necessary. Grief is natural and the only way to heal the body and spirit is to go through it. Suppressing, denying, minimizing and avoiding the process that is grief will be rejected by the body and spirit. Grief is not a linear process and is unique to each person. I help by teaching ways to cope that will reduce the negative symptoms of grief, such as the difficulty with focus, concentration and memory, fatigue, and sadness, while respecting and honoring your process.

Working through the stages of grief: Anger, Denial, Bargaining, Sadness, and Acceptance can be very helpful. Being able to share your emotions with another person throughout the process can be very healing. Using EMDR ( eye movement, desensitization,reprocessing) technique for the traumatic parts of your grief can also be very beneficial. I am here to help you through that process.

Grey Matters International and the work of Kevin J. Fleming, Ph.D approaches issues of grief & loss through the lens of innovation----instead of growing the same neural networks responsible for the pain in weekly therapy sessions, we reset the brain to move forward quicker and efficiently by working on the stuck limbic system so as to empower the person with more success and traction. For no one wants to stay in a grief mode for too long; but when you don’t include the brain in your work with someone, you risk describing the water to them while they drown and calling it success. Contact Grey Matters International, Inc now at kevin@kevinflemingphd.com or 877-606-6161.

Understanding that what you are experiencing in your grief is normal can be an important part in healing. Friends and family may not know what to say, and in their desire to see you stop hurting, they may tell you that it's time to get over it and move on. With me, you will find that wherever you are in your grief process is accepted. While I will help you process your feelings so you may heal, I will not hurry you along faster than you are ready to go. I will never have the expectation that you will "get over" your loved one. Instead, I will help you to redefine your life without that person in it so that you can experience joy again.

Although at some time we all experience loss and the grief that follows, there are few life experiences that are lonelier. Summer can gently walk with you through your experience of grief, and help you process your sadness and pain as you move through this difficult time. Although grief and depression are distinct, at times they feel the same, and sometimes loss can precipitate depression. If you feel that you are alone and stuck in your grief, it's probably time to ask for help.